


I AM TERRIFIED

by Flamyoi



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Addiction, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Angst, Armour rejection, Dreams, Friends trying to help, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Loki helping, M/M, Manipulative Loki, Sexual Tension, Song Lyrics, Tony trying to cope, Tony-centric, Visions, Worried JARVIS, feelings like colours, lots of colours, or is it real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 16:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11763648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamyoi/pseuds/Flamyoi
Summary: After the New York incident, Tony is but the shadow of the man he was before. He has suffered too much in the battle, he can't forget how he felt when he got rid of the missile and fall back to the earth. He can't forget Loki with his lightning green eyes and alluring features. He drowns himself in alcohol, ignoring JARVIS and the Avengers reaching out for him. The alcohol helps him, it makes Loki appear. Tony doesn't want those visions to end, but what if he can have more than those visions?





	I AM TERRIFIED

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone!
> 
> I'm Yoi and this is my first work ever in English. In fact, it's a translation of my own first Frostiron, written in French two years ago (if you read in French as well, all my work is on my fanfiction.net account, with the same username). That was a nice challenge to do. I used two different grammar apps to check my text; I hope there are not a lot of mistakes remaining. I literally spent the last two days to check it; I'm so glad it's finally done.
> 
> Oh ! And the title comes from a song: I am terrified, by IAMX. You should totally check it out, this guy is freaking amazing and his songs atmospheres goes very well with Frostiron.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

**I AM TERRIFIED**

(English version)

Started on February, the 25th 2016

 

“Good morning sir. Today's outdoor temperature is...”

 JARVIS? This hangover won’t do. There are too much daylight and too much life.

“Mute.”

 Sorry mate.

[...]

      Since this isn’t exactly his first time drinking, Tony Stark should know when he comes up to the point of no return. This evening, for instance, the first drink had already been too much. However, Tony Stark is born to keep pushing the limits, as Fury likes to say.

And by the way, he is drinking to forget. So what would be the point to stop? However, sometimes he gets sick because being completely drunk and that is awful. He desperately needs the alcohol to keep his mind from rambling.

Tony is truly attempting to act like a grown man, which is nowhere near simple.

In that case, he has to wait for his body to get better and then he gets drunk again and follows his path to darkness. Well, that's what they say. Obviously, for Tony, this is not darkness. They do not want to accept that alcohol is Tony's way to cope with his situation because they are scared.

For now, the pain is going to drive him mad. He wants to forget everything.

Black and white and good night.

[...]

Tony only wishes to protect his heart.

Who said that you had a heart in the first place?

 Fair enough, what kind of human being lives with a time bomb in their chest?

“I am Iron Man.”

Of course, you are. You are this damned thing, and it is you.

[...]

“Already drowning yourself in whiskey at eight ‘o’clock in the morning?”

“If I may, I would like to clarify that Mr Stark is currently drinking his last drink of the day rather than the first.”

Did JARVIS just speak politely to Fury? He must be resentful. Or Tony must be daydreaming. Tony is obviously the only one to blame for creating such a brilliant artificial intelligence.

“Anyway, I have a mission for you. Go in your kitchen and drink a large cup of coffee, it should sober you up.”

Why would he choose coffee over whiskey? He has no need of being sober. Fury does not get it.

“Stark do you hear me? I'm talking to you.”

Yes, he does. No, in fact, he doesn't. He doesn’t want to answer. It’s useless. He laughs at Fury’s ignorance. In fact, he does not quit drinking long enough to be wholly sober for being sober means being vulnerable. He would rather drink all day long even if they say he's pathetic than be free of the alcohol.

“You’d better call me later, Stark.”

Even from the bottom of his mind, Tony knows he said that to keep up appearances. This moron wanted to check on him under fallacious pretexts. Fury is a pain in the ass, but even he knows better than to give Stark a mission when he doubts of his stability of mind. Fury must have been persuasive enough to get JARVIS to let him start a video conference this early in the morning.

Tony does not listen to orders, especially when it comes from SHIELD.

The screen in front of him disappears without a sound, and Tony remains alone with his empty bottle and a suddenly silent AI.

[...]

_You look good in leathers in bars_

_Breaking things, breaking hearts_

 

In the shadowy light of the room, Tony is listening to people chatting and glasses clinking. It’s almost mesmerizing. He supposes he is daydreaming once more because he has never seen this place before. 

Honestly, what is the point of doing a party in a room too narrow to dance and too dark to see each other features? Tony has no clue about what he is doing here suddenly. His mind is a blurry mess.

He is also really puzzled by a man, who has his back turned. He's sitting on a bar stool legs crossed and elbows on the counter.

He is wearing a dark green shirt and leather pants. His hair is long, bright dark and comes down past his waist.

Please turn around.

Tony tries hard to keep himself from lurching forward and back. Is alcohol the cause or is it something else? Everything is possible when you're an Avenger, even a retired one.

He does not see his surroundings anymore. He did not have time to catch a glimpse of the stranger's face. He opens his eyes. Maybe it was a dream. His ark is a little too bright.

In the brilliant moonlight, he keeps his eyes on the ceiling and tries to calm down. Alright, it was only a dream, a great one, though a bit strange. Will he have it again? Not for now in any case. He does not want to sleep anymore.

A sudden movement in the corner of the room catches his eyes, and he rolls on his side to see more clearly. A man is sitting in the recliner in front of the window. Is he still dreaming? He was not there the last time Tony checked.

_You look good in pleasure in hostels_

_Loneliness is the key to break that spell._

 

What is this man doing right here right now?

Tony has no clue. The man sits still, eyes looking at nothing in particular and chest going up and down so slowly. He is so quiet that if the stranger were human, Tony would be worried that he might be dead.

But Tony would just like to come closer. He's curious, maybe this time it is real? It seems so, and he does not need more.

People keep saying that illusion is not a good way out because, when you come back in the real world, you realize that it was in fact not real. However, all you have to do is to stay in the illusion, voluntarily oblivious of what's going on outside.

And everything seems right to you. Tony is well aware of that: that's why he drank so much sometimes. Oblivion we said.

Bright dark wispy curls with white skin and absent expression. He's pretty uncommon. And although he has nothing in common with Tony's previous definition of masculine beauty, the inventor cannot take his eyes off his slim profile.

Why can’t he fight? Or rather why does he not WANT to fight?

He has never been in control. The vision could end now or later. Even in his own mind, Tony is useless. 

This situation keeps going like this for several days with Tony waking up in his bedroom to discover the man sitting as always in the armchair. He does not know if it’s an endless dream and he does not want to know.

The only way of control he has is not very healthy, but he does not care. He uses it when he can’t bear anymore being so stuck in his dreams when he is pathetic far beyond what his name allows him to be.

The feeling is a key as it is a warning.  A bit of it and you're free. A bit more and you're free but in another dimension. It is a matter of how you approach it.

His body falls back on the bed with a soft sound. Shallow breathing and peaceful face. He's in the dark the absolute dark.   Not the shining dark of his hair not the suffocating dark of his bedroom.  It is the blank dark.

Nothing can hurt him here.

[...]

“Something is wrong with Stark.”

“Something is always wrong with him.”

“No, I mean usually nobody can take him out of his lab for more than a few hours, yet I know from a reliable source that he was not in his lab for the past two weeks.”

“What's your reliable source then?”

“He has done a good job making a scalable artificial intelligence.”

“I'm sorry? Was that an answer?”

“The priority of orders given to JARVIS depends on numerous factors run by algorithms. Of course, Tony Stark's orders have the highest priority. However, JARVIS knows when his master is not able to make major decisions. In this case, according to his algorithms, he gives the "top priority rank" to someone who should be able to help his master to recover. It’s brilliant.”

“Please go straight to the point, Doctor Banner.”

“Impatient, aren't you? Well, it seems JARVIS now relies on me.”

[...]

The blank dark is great even though it never stays for long. Or at least that is what Tony thinks. He opens his eyes, now fully awake. He needs to do his tasks by way of priority. First, he will drink. Then he will turn the lights on. Then he will drink again and take a shower. Then maybe he will try to find another bottle. His hand is already circling the neck, and suddenly a war explodes in his head.

No, no, no. Do you want a repetition of yesterday's mess?

What should I do?

Blank dark, good night Stark.

[...]

“What can you do concretely?”

“I have told you already. I can do everything that will help him to get better.”

“At least JARVIS has the same purpose we have. Stark must get better. This city needs Iron Man.”

“There's a reason behind his behaviour, and I suppose it’s got to do with his armour.”

“Doctor Banner, Stark IS Iron Man. Please think about it. He didn't wear his armour for a while, and he's a mess. Don't you see the link? It’s obvious.”

The dark-haired man sighs. Why did he tell them about his recent discoveries in the first place? Right, because he's a scientist thrilled by revelations and who does not think about the consequences.

[...]

He doesn't feel sober and he doesn't feel drunk either. He is probably in the intermediate state because if he was drunk he would not be thinking about that.

The world is white. Neon light white. It’s not the poison white of his skin.

There's not a single bottle anymore in the room he just dropped them outside. Pepper must be glad. Or she would just don’t care. Anyway, she is not here to congratulate him.

If there is no bottle in sight, there isn’t any danger, unless he suddenly needs alcohol too much. He only has to be a bit more convinced before he experiences withdrawal symptoms. It is not that simple to stop even without temptation.

When he’s more or less sober, his destructive thoughts converge. In no time his dreams are killed by the overwhelming truth. It’s tiring and disturbing and depressing. However, his dreams become reality when he is drunk. That is the trick. He holds on to this artificial sense of reality and waits for his body to faint.

So, will you choose neon-light white or poison white?

[...]

They're as pathetic as he is, being sure to know why he is retired. Those idiots got the causes and consequences all mixed up.

He is like that because he does not accept something. He does not accept it because it is so unnatural and irrational.

He was Iron Man. He was trying to protect people to forget how many lives he led to an end. He was trying to repent of his faults, and now nobody is here to save him. They're watching him fall, guessing that it is just a whim and that the playboy attitude hidden under the alcoholic behaviour will reappear after some time. What a bunch of fools. Even if they all have some unnatural characteristics does not mean that magic can happen.

He ignores why he's not feeling well in being alone now because he is the one who made them leave.

_I am terrified, I think so much_

_I get emotional when I drink too much_

If only his mood would steady itself long enough to make some plan for recovery, then maybe he could get better.

And he cannot do that since alcohol is a vicious circle. So this won't end. It will only get worse.

Alone, alone, alone.

Where are my bottles?

[...]

Bright dark and poison white. He is again sitting in the armchair with his eyes nearly shut, showing his naked-torso and dishevelled curls.

Tony asks himself if this time, he can let go. With alcohol running in his system he does not have to fear a sudden come back to the neon light white.

He comes closer to the window. One, two, three steps. He stops himself. His eyes lock themselves in the man's own eyes. Lightning green. He forgets to count his steps.

His hand rises to meet the cold skin. Poison white, delight. His body moves by itself. He was right when he said he was never in control.

He is craving for more. His fingers move slowly on the cold arm. He's standing upright, eyes still locked with the man who does not move an eyelash. His fingers gain confidence and travel oh so softly across the base of the pectoral then the prominent collar bones and thin neck where he feels the slow pulse.

He kisses the hollow space behind the ear, the bright dark hair, a soft curl desire and ice scented. He can taste the poison on his lips.

Should he feel bad?

Yes, he should.

Nevertheless, Tony hasn’t felt that good for at least a lifetime.

[...]

“Listen Banner”

“Hmm.”

“I was serious about Stark.”

“So was I. I can’t force him to get back to work. The armour is destroying him as much as it is helping him except that he’s got the choice. He can choose to leave it in the basement or to take it outside. I can’t take that privilege from him. I am sure you are able to understand my point here Rogers.”

“That's too easy to take back the talk on our existential crisis.”

“You’re admitting that I was right. We have to let Stark keep what little control he still has on his life.” 

“Fair enough, but what do we do now?”

[...]

This morning, he spoke to JARVIS. He talked to him for real. It wasn’t one of those muttered and incomplete sentences that the AI and everyone who tried to talk to him since the New York incident grew to hate.

Admittedly, what he said wasn’t interesting. He wanted to know how much time has passed since Fury’s last call. But it was a complete and intelligible sentence. If JARVIS had got a physical body, he would have danced a jig in front of a stunned Tony. Instead, he replied that it had has been one week since Director Fury’s last call. Tony barely nodded and got back to his old catatonic self.

Doctor Banner heard about this sudden development. He swore there was relief in JARVIS's artificial voice. Doctor Banner was equally relieved. It means that the inventor isn’t wholly gone and that’s a good thing.

[...]

Tony is stretched out on a couch in his usual living-room when JARVIS’s voice, coming out of nowhere, startles him.

“Sir, pardon me for interrupting, Doctor Banner and Soldier Rogers are waiting at the front door. Can I allow them in?”

What? It has been a long time since he last saw someone in here.

“Hmm.”

“Very well Sir, I will bring them here. If I may, it would be wise to hide those bottles .”

“Yeah.”

He pushes every dead bottle under the couch before sitting on it. He does not know why the two men are in his house and he’s not confident about the way he will react.

Before long he hears muffled voices in the corridor. Then they walk into the room. Tony notices the disappointment written on their face, but he doesn't care so much. He has got used to it.

“Hello, Tony.”

Banner speaks first. Rogers solely nods. As does Tony, who is not willing to pretend he is polite.

“We thought it was about time we take you outside.”

Seriously, outside? Like outside the tower?

“You can’t stay all locked up like that any longer Stark.” 

The soldier finally speaks in an insistent tone of voice. He’s not as patient as the doctor.

“I don’t want to go outside.”

He made a complete sentence. JARVIS would be proud.

“Give it a go and see. We’ll let you be afterwards if that’s what you want.”  

Tony misses the dirty look Steve gives to Bruce.

“Hmm.”

 “You can’t do it alone Stark, so listen and come with us tonight.”

Who would have thought that someday Steve Rogers would tell Tony Stark to hang out?

“OK.”

Banner is pleased of Tony’s lack of resistance whatsoever, and yet he’s wondering if that doesn’t cover something up. Nothing can make him change his mind usually. But isn’t this situation unusual?

[...]

There are too many colours and too much hustle and bustle. Did he really use to like this atmosphere before? Now it’s making him feel nauseous for none of these colours is his.  This pseudo-darkness and this green and insipid light and all these high-pitched voices make him sick.

This pseudo darkness and this insipid green light and all these high-pitched voices make him sick.

Rogers is too uncomfortable himself to notice how Tony feels and Banner is embracing the walls to avoid people.  Tony would be completely unable to stop Hulk tonight. He would probably almost reach out to him hoping he would end up crushed against a wall.

He stands up with a glass in hand. He’s swaying, heart beating in his temples. Everything is driving him insane, from the dancing bodies to the bitter orange and acid purple spotlights. He sits on a stool and sets his empty glass down on the counter.     

Then he turns his head toward the narrow room.

It’s the place he saw in his dream. Was it truly a dream then? He’s never been here before; he doesn’t even know the exact location nor does he remember getting here in the first place. What he knows for sure is that he has seen this place before. He has gazed at the stranger with long dark hair in considerable detail.

Will he meet him again?  If this happens to be true, he could thank his two colleagues for taking him here, although he doesn’t see them in the room anymore. Did he dream about that part? Maybe he is currently dreaming for he fainted in a dark corner of the Stark Tower.

At any rate, the stranger is not in the room. Tony wonders when he will show up. Because he will, he’s confident about that. He isn’t here by accident.

He is going to wait.

[...]

“That was a mistake.”

“I know but what could we have done?”

“I don’t know; maybe force him to get back to work?”

“That would be even less productive. Besides, we already talked about that. There’s no solution.”

“Yet we have to find one.”

“We need to figure out why he is acting like this.”

“You think he’s going to tell us?”

“No, I’m not. We will have to figure that out by ourselves.”

[...]

Tony opens his eyes and sees feet.

He wants to throw up. His head hurts, not like a headache, more like a punch, and everything he sees is feet dancing in front of him.

He attempts to move and the whole world reels. He notices flashes of light and bodies. Oh, that’s improving!

He is finally able to regain some control and stands up. Alright, he was lying on the floor that explains the feet. But how did he fall? He hasn’t drunk that much, maybe one drink or two and he wasn’t even drunk when his two colleagues walked into his living-room.

People are moving around him as if he were not here. Is he invisible?

He clings on the counter for a few minutes watching the moving bodies changing colours under the spotlights.

_I buy every cry, 'cause I don't trust_

_I am terrified, I think so much._

 

He needs to get out of here now.

He moves forward, crossing the crowd without brushing against anyone. That’s true he is invisible. He’s only Tony and nobody like Tony. People like Tony Stark the billionaire philanthropist playboy and they like Iron Man for obvious reasons, but they don’t like Tony.

And if he has to be completely honest with himself he understands them. Who would like him in his current state? Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean he can’t wish for some kindness.

Lost in his self-destructive thoughts he has almost crossed the narrow room. Intuitively, he stops abruptly. Then he sees him, the long haired stranger. Unless this time, Tony sees his face. Realisation draws onto him. He knows this face.

[...]

Summit meeting agenda: Why has Stark came to that point?

“Well, do we know when it began exactly?”

“Stark has always been kind of crazy, but I guess he got worse after the New York incident.”

“The choices are endless to select the one thing that made him go downhill.”

“He doesn’t want to wear the armour anymore, right?”

“You're right he doesn't wear the armour anymore. The only thing he seems interested in is whiskey. Sometimes, he also speaks to JARVIS, but that's unusual.”

“Then could it be related to that time when he... disappeared with the nuclear warhead?”

It is quite surprising to see that even Black Widow can be flustered enough to seem hesitant.

“It certainly helped to break him, but I don’t think that’s the main reason.”

“Technically, the armour saved his life back then. And it saved the life of everyone in this fucking city, we included.”

It is even the more surprising to hear Banner swearing.

“So his rejection is not related to that.”

“It is likely that we are not taking the matter in the right way. What if Tony doesn’t want to wear the armour because he doesn’t consider himself worthy of it anymore?”

“Well, I’m not saying that’s impossible, but he had built this armour in the first place when he was pathetic and needed it to save his life. Then, he used it to fix his mistakes and to protect himself from the rest of the world.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Feelings, Natasha.”

“We’re not here for fun Barton. Iron Man had been Stark’s protection against the public. Nobody from the outside knows the man inside the armour, and that was his purpose since the beginning.”

“I guess this theory doesn’t work so well then.”

“What if it was because the armour reminds him of everything? How many times did he almost died because of it?”

[...]

_In your blood, the fetish_

_The prize of a million teasing moments blind._

 

How many times has he wished the man would look at him right into his eyes?

Wait, he is not supposed to admit this now.

Bright-dark, poison-white, lightening-green. Oh, that’s true; Tony has tasted the poison already. He likes these colours so much. The stranger does look like gentler. His features are relaxed, and his eyes do not shine with hate. No, they’re shining playfully, as if he were tempting the inventor to come closer and drown himself again into those troubled waters.

His hair is long and dark and magic. He’s still quite far away from him, but he’s able to tell that the scent is similar, ice and desire.

Tony doesn’t want to turn things over in his head anymore. After all, that’s what is going to lead to his downfall.

He comes closer in two long steps. People around have vanished, there is only him, this man and the tense atmosphere between them.

The other one looks closely at him without moving from the stool he’s sitting on.

Tony tries out and sits on a stool nearby. Their knees are almost reaching. There’s hardly a word exchanged between them for incidentally, Tony is not confident he can talk. Here is another world. He is not in the bar where he has been earlier that day. His thoughts are wandering off.

A cold hand on his cheek. He lets it go and surprises himself by enjoying the touch he didn’t see coming. He closes his eyes. Nothing is bothering nor frightening him anymore. He’s alone in his head, his thoughts are hiding, and only his nervous system is still working.

Like the blank dark but better.

[...]

“Come on, you’re silly now. Stark likes to put his life at risk.”

“At the moment Stark is a mess who has not come outside for a lifetime except to accompany us temporarily to a night club where he managed to faint after hitting his head on the bar."

“How many did he have?”

“One or two, but that wasn’t his first drinks of the day.”

Banner takes his time to clean his glasses, waiting for an occasion to talk.

“Can we please get back to our point? No, Stark doesn’t like to put his life at risk. Iron Man likes danger and Iron Man is no longer relevant.”

“You are pretty negative today, Captain.”

“I’m only facing the facts, Barton.”

“We’re getting off topic gentlemen.”

“Listen. I think Tony is trying to run away from something and that something may not be only danger.”

[...]

The vision ends as swiftly as it began. Tony opens his eyes and gazes at the familiar ceiling pensively.

That was powerful and efficient. He should remember to thank Cap and Bruce when he gets the opportunity. Well, perhaps he will have to figure that out before talking to them if he doesn’t want to appear absolutely insane. The best would be to ask JARVIS about that. His very own AI wouldn’t dare to make fun of him, right?

Tony moves gingerly, not really willing to wake up his dozing headache. He’s only wearing a t-shirt and boxers. The ark’s piercing blue light assaults his tired eyes even from behind the fabric. He sits on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, and takes a break.

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Did I go out yesterday night?”

“You left with Doctor Banner and Soldier Rogers in the early evening. They brought you back here less than two hours later, sir.”

“Ah.”

Then he went out. But which part of his memories is true, that he has no idea and does not intend to seek further.

He gets out of bed and for the first time in days decides on taking a shower. He wishes to feel the man's cold hand on his cheek again, so he lowers the water's temperature. Sadly, that's only water running on his skin.

Once clean and dressed up he goes straight away to his living-room. The dead bottles aren’t under the couch anymore nor are the almost empty ones. The dresser is empty and the kitchen’s cupboard as well.

Holy shit.

They didn’t get it, then? He can’t do without it. If he has decided that he needed to drink, he has to.

Tony roams the Tower with enraged steps to discover each of his hiding places emptied of his precious bottles.

No doubt that his traitor of artificial intelligence has something to do with it. As smart are his two colleagues, they couldn’t have possibly known that Tony was hiding bottles into the bolster of one of his numerous guest rooms.

No way.

Without noticing, Tony is now standing in front of his lab’s glass door. He shivers. It’s been so long since he went inside and he still doesn’t want to.

And that is when he notices something interesting inside. He blinks a few times to be sure.

There is a whiskey bottle or at least something which looks much like a whiskey bottle, sets on the counter nearest the transparent door.

And he is absolutely certain that he hasn’t left it there. 

Is this a trap? Do they want to test him, to see if his need of a drink will be stronger than his fear to get a foothold in his lab? They are a bunch of fucking vultures.

He won’t give up.

[...]

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Tony is afraid of something.”

“And what’s that?”

“I don’t know.”

“We will go far like this.”

“Spare me your sarcasm Romanov. If being here is a game for you, you’re free to leave.”

“Banner calm down, the last thing we need right now is to bicker like a bunch of preteens.”

“Shut up Captain.”

“We were talking about Tony initially.”

“I think we’re talking a bit too much about him.”

Agent Romanov gets up with her insulted dignity and leaves the meeting room.

“Nobody wants to go with her? It would avoid losing more precious time.”

Banner is exhausted. It has been weeks since he noticed that he needed to do something for his friend. At first, he was the only one. Strangely, the second one was Fury even if it doesn’t really count as a support since he was willing to lock Tony up in a SHIELD facility. The doctor then rallied the soldier to help him in his task. And they asked Barton and Romanov for extraordinary support, but it isn’t much successful yet.

“I have a question.”

“Then ask, Barton.”

“Why do you think Stark is afraid of something?”

“Well, if he were irritated he would have broken something or made a scene and overall dealt with his problem in a silly way. If he were melancholic, we would have found him arm-in-arm with Pepper, yet he told her especially not to come in the Tower if it were not for business. And there are no other women in sight. Right now, he spends his days in familiar places with alcohol, therefore in the Tower and mostly in the living-room and bedroom with the curtains shut. He’s uneasy if he has to go outside and he doesn’t speak to anyone. Conclusion, he’s afraid by something. Is that enough proof for you?”

“Yeah, that's enough proof. But how do we find out what he is afraid of?”

“If I had the answer we wouldn’t be here Barton.”

[...]

     Two hours later Tony gives in. He doesn’t have any other choice. There isn’t a single drop of alcohol in this fucking tower save for the bottle in his lab, and he won't venture into the streets, no way. He hasn’t much control here but outside would be much worse.

On top of that JARVIS betrayed him, so he doesn’t speak to him anymore. As smart as he is he can’t read Tony’s mind, and that’s for the best.

Tony pushes cautiously on the lab’s door which opens with a familiar sound. The large white place is silent, and its stillness is almost morbid. He moves his hand forward, and there’s a relieved sigh coming out of his mouth when his fingers wrap themselves around the neck of the bottle. He has thought that maybe this was a hallucination created by his sick mind.

But the bottle is real! He hurries to open it, fingers shaking because of the forced withdrawal.

The first sip is a benediction. The second one tastes like poison. Tony totters. Why has he given up? He mustn’t!

The bottle shatters in a corner.

His breathing is jerky and painful. He moves his hand toward his chest right where the ark is. He tries to breathe decently. Inhale, exhale, inhale. Do it one more time. Good.

He raises his head, and his gaze falls upon the deserted lab with a twinge of sorrow.  Of course, he misses it, this place it’s all his life. Well, it was.

_Who'll release you from the railway, the circus?_

He can imagine using all his tools again someday. Though his armour, he can’t. That’s over. He lived his life to please others, and now he’s living for himself even if he’s crazy.

[...]

That’s the man with the shorter hair this time, the one he met in his bedroom. As usual, he is still, except that this time he’s lying on the inventor’s bed.

Tony sits on the edge of the bed and looks at him. His features are slightly different from the man at the party although they’re the same man. He cautiously moves his hand toward the short hair and brushes his fingers against the soft material. An electrical current passes through his body, and he caresses more frankly the man’s hair.

Oh, that’s silly. Why is he calling him ‘the man’ in his own head? Maybe that’s because he was in denial.

Now that his dreams make him appear in his bedroom, he can’t deny any longer what is going on. If he’s here, then that means his unconscious has wished he was here, right? In common language, he, Tony Stark, has wished in his unconscious that he, Loki Laufeyson, half-god responsible for the New York incident and brother of Thor, ends up in his bed.

He can’t confess anymore, for now, that’s already too much.

Loki’s cold hand moves slowly and settles on Tony’s thigh, who's sitting close-by. He’s magnificent this god, and that’s putting it mildly. Each and every part of him is so wonderfully perfect, from his features to his voice.

_But the gravi_ _ty between us will keep us safe_

Tony lays on his side, close to the source of cold which tempts him in an obvious kind of way.  He sets his hand on Loki’s hip bone and enjoys the feeling a few minutes. Then he huddles around Loki and sets his head in the crook of his neck. He is able to feel him breathe against him.

The half-god's scent surrounds him. He doesn’t want to confess that now but still, he feels safe here even if he’s dangerously lowering his guard near the man who is probably ranking at the highest spot for most dead bodies in New York in the past ten years.

The strangest part is the fact that Tony Stark wants to feel safe.

Loki moves against him and sets his chin softly on top of Tony’s head. Tony closes his eyes. After all, this is a dream, right?

And that is when Loki opens his own eyes, while his smile becomes disturbing.

[...]

“Natasha, you’re staying through the meeting this time?”

“No comment.”

“Very well, we’re here today to find out what is Tony potentially afraid of.”

“Potentially? I thought we’ve already decided I was right about that.”

“That’s not the point, Doctor Banner.”

“What’s your problem today Steve?”

“I can’t stand it. Fury is harassing me to know why we’re always meeting and never on the field. We have to do something.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

“We cannot do anything until we haven’t found out why he’s like that, especially as we can’t take him outside anymore, considering the fiasco that happened the other night.”

“I didn’t think I would see him way more bored than me at a party.”

The archer laughs nervously at Bruce’s statement, and Steve gives them both a dirty look.

“It’s amazing how Tony Stark can get under your skin without even knowing it, Captain.”

“Romanov, Stark gets under my skin, as you said because he refuses to work in leaving his armour in the basement and it’s my duty as a soldier and a protector of the country’s safety to make sure he gets back on the right track.”

If Tony were here he would say that he is not Iron Man for the sake of the country, but because he wanted to do it, Bruce thinks, as usual, disappointed about Tony’s absence.

“The situation won’t improve if you keep bickering.”

“Banner, we-”

Black Widow is cut short by a strident alert. Immediately, the lights switch off and the only emergency light that is still working is barely powerful enough for them to see each other’s features.

“Fuck, what is this?”

Everyone is too stunned to notice that Steve is the one who just swore.

[...]

Only half-drunk tonight, Tony is thinking. He is not the one who gets to choose if he meets Loki in his bedroom or in the bar. He would like to. Tonight he wants to caress his long hair, to see imaginary kindness in his eyes, to hear him say something maybe.

He doesn’t really know if he can have an influence on the choice, but that doesn’t mean he can’t try. He saw Loki several times in the bar when he wasn’t drunk. Could be a clue, right?

That’s why he’s only half-drunk tonight; he only drank two drinks, or maybe a bit more, just a bit. He hasn’t slept for hours, and he feels numb. He likes that. He feels like he is a statue; he has a filter on his feelings without the dizzy part brought by too much alcohol. He is almost himself.

Still, he has to fight to keep his eyes open. How could he see Loki if he falls asleep right now?

Then he gets something. How could he see Loki if he stays here? He has to get back to the bar, except he doesn’t know where it is located yet.

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Set up the sat nav with the location of the bar where they drove me to last time, please.”

He doesn’t try to fix his clothing or the bags under his eyes. He grabs his leather jacket and heads to the basement.

He drives his cherry red sports car for around twenty minutes, listening carefully to JARVIS’s voice guiding him through the suburbs. He parks the car next to obviously less expensive ones and walks towards the entrance of what appears to be more a private club than a bar. He pushes the door open and finds himself in a narrow hallway lit by shady purple lights.

Down the hallway, he pushes another door and recognises the room instantly. People are dancing, sickly-looking under the spotlights. Brouhaha and lascivious moves. He sits on a stool at the counter and orders a whiskey. He empties the glass straight away and turns around to watch people dancing. He’s dizzy; he feels like he’s going to fall from the high stool. He’s hot. He turns around once more to orders something else.

_I am terrified, I think too much_

_I get_ _emotional when I drink too much_

A flash of light startles him. He sets his glass down on the shiny counter and slowly turns his head, not too quickly because he doesn’t want to see stars.

 

At the other end of the counter, the long-haired man raises his head and sends him an alluring look. Tony then stands up and moves toward him without breaking eye-contact. He found him. Does that mean he has some control over the whole situation?

The closest stool is surprisingly free, and Tony doesn’t waste a second before sitting on it. Instantly, their knees are touching. The half-god is not drinking anything, so Tony decides to do the same, after all, he still has to get home later tonight. Since he has kicked everyone out including Happy, he has to manage by himself.

Loki runs his hand along his jaw, and Tony closes his eyes to enjoy the fleeting touch. Then he plunges his fingers into the luxuriant dark hair. He discovers that it is softer than it looks.

Without really noticing, the two bodies move closer to each other. Tony is now able to feel Loki’s breathing on his neck, his hand still on his shoulder. And he becomes slowly aware of what is happening. Does he want that? Of course, he does. His unconscious asks for nothing else. But can he handle moving toward something that scares him?

Yes, he can.

His whole body shudders when the god of mischief's cold lips meets his. He lets it go, stop thinking and kisses Loki back slowly. The hand on his neck stays where it is and plays with his hair. He’s going to burn, there no other way.

The human's left-hand strokes the half-god's hip. They move away a bit in order to breathe. That kiss wasn't passionate or languid like others Tony has in mind, but he’s confident he will remember this one until the day he dies.

He is the fire, Loki is the ice. Skin against skin, breathing, suggestive looks. They are in their own world, once again invisible for the rest of the human world.

[...]

The four remaining Avengers hurry to the corridor, covering their ears in order to protect themselves from the deafening siren.

Adrenaline is running through their veins as they travel across the HQ. They’re all wondering what is happening and who triggered the alarm. They part in two groups and head toward different directions. They’re alone in this for the first time, without any SHIELD supervision and they have to find out by themselves what is happening.

Since Banner didn’t actually accept Fury’s plan concerning Stark, he persuaded the soldier into joining him. Then he convinced Barton and Romanov and told them they could no longer meet in SHIELD’s facilities because of Fury’s spying on them. And he took advantage of his new accreditation to ask JARVIS if he didn’t know of a place where they could meet to talk about Tony. 

The AI, glad that there were still people trying to help his maker, gave them free access to a meeting room. It’s not as if Tony was likely to visit his own tower these days, so they were safe in the basement, situated at the opposite from the garage.

It wasn’t so bad, at least until the siren startled them.

“JARVIS, is the alarm ringing in the upper floors as well?”

They all hear the answer and stop where they stand. Stark has left the Tower alone?

“Where did he go?”

“To the place you’ve taken him to last time.”

Does that mean he’s getting better?

“And what has triggered the alarm?”

“A visitor came into the Tower unannounced. I did not have a choice but to start the alarm.”

“Where is he now?”

“I asked him to wait in the living-room.”

Nobody gets the idea to ask who exactly the visitor is and the four of them hurry toward the elevator.

[...]

They stay like that, embraced, for an eternity and yet it seems too short. The inventor isn’t thinking anymore; he’s focusing on his feelings. He can’t say he feels good because that’s way more than that and anyway he isn’t thinking about that.

Earlier, they moved from the high stools to a more comfortable armchair at the back of the room. They are almost hidden by the shadows. They are almost hidden by the shadows. Tony is sitting on Loki’s lap, head resting in the crook of Loki’s neck and Loki has his arms around the inventor. They’re breathing together.

They haven’t said a word in front of each other yet. It’s almost as if their vocal cords were no longer practical though that’s not much of a problem since they understand each other without talking. Hopefully, they seem to be on the same wavelength.

Tony doesn’t need anything else. He has finally got the fulfilment he’s been seeking for far too long. He was dying because of his ambivalent feelings, and he couldn’t make a choice, so he let it go.

And that was a good idea. Well, for now, he’s nowhere near regret. Of course, if he was actually conscious, he would probably freak out.

After all, he, Tony Stark, maker of Iron Man and Avenger when needed, has purposely thrown himself to Loki’s Laufeyson feet, the very half-god responsible for the destruction of New York and the death of hundreds of citizens and also God of mischief, of Chaos and of a lot of things endangering human's safety.

If dear Nick Fury could have a heart attack because of that, Tony was willing to swear he would stop messing around, for real.

[...]

Banner, Rogers, Barton, and Romanov stop in the middle of the living-room. In front of them is standing the most unexpected person.

“Thor?”

“Oh, friends of mine! I was starting to wonder why I was the only living soul in this tower.”

“Well, Tony is gone, and we were meeting downstairs.”

“Tony is always the one to skip the meeting even in his own house!”

The God of Thunder bursts into laughter, but he calms down promptly, for two reasons: firstly, because most of his friends look grim and secondly because he has some bad news to report.

“What brings you here?”

He would prefer not to say it right now.

“Nothing especially urgent, we can talk about it later.”

He wasn't in a hurry anyway.

“What was the point of your meeting? Is there a new threat on Midgard?”

“No, there isn’t. Well, not exactly.”

“We were talking about Tony, actually.”

“What has he done for you to look so depressed?”

“He has done nothing, that's the problem.”

“In fact since the incident, he hasn't worn any armour.”

“You mean that...”

“He stayed in the Tower except for one or two times when we tried to get him out to distract himself.”

“That's scary! A warrior who does not fight is a dead warrior!”

The four others Avengers mentally thank Thor for this highly comforting thought.

“We're trying to help him.”

“You said he used to stay in the tower, but now, where is he?”

Thor isn't the most perceptive one but when he is, it usually is right on point.

“He went to a bar, where we have driven him to a few days ago though he has fainted after knocking his head against the counter.”

“Well, maybe he wanted to enjoy the place after all.”

“Not his state of mind right now.”

“We will ask him about it, and we will see.”

“Anyway, Thor, can you tell us why you're here now?”

“Oh, err. There is a problem with my brother, actually.”

“Loki? What has he done?”

Everyone hear the worry in Banner's voice.

“He has escaped his cell on Asgard, and he is now hiding on Midgard.”

[...]

Tony opens his eyes to find himself lying in his bed. His muscles are relaxed, his headache is gone, and he can still feel Loki's taste on his lips. It would taste like paradise if not for his chest hurting more and more as he wakes up.

Everything can't be perfect, can it?

He would have given a lot to wake up with the half-god still in his bed. Instead of that, the pain will be so unbearable in a few minutes that he will go and get a surviving bottle to drink it straight away.

He tells himself that it is a bit early in their relationship, for him to miss Loki already. Then he thinks about it, and his mind agrees to admit something that he was rejecting. The half-god obsesses him since the first time he looked at him, and because of that, he has almost wanted to give up on life, on his life, on everything, when he found himself in space with the missile. He would have died as a martyr. That’s not so bad, is it? 

After all, what is the point of living with such a twisted secret? He knew it would destroy him. One cannot love someone like him without suffering the consequences. Hopefully, now he thinks that giving up was a terrible idea. If he had given up, he would have never known the feeling of Loki's lips on his or of his arms around him or of his cold fingers on his cheek.

However, all of these thoughts are not helping the inventor to feel better. He needs Loki or a bottle in the five minutes to come, or he can't promise what he would do next.

_I buy every cry, 'cause I don't trust_

_I'm terrified_

 

His thoughts are so noisy that Tony doesn't notice something strange going on with his ark: it's now intermittently lit as if it were dysfunctioning.

[...]

“What do you mean, he has escaped? What kind of guards do you have for a villain like him to escape without troubles?”

Thor knows better than to show his anger at Steve's barely contained disdain.

“Well, he was locked up in a cell that was supposed to suppress his magic and weaken him enough to avoid him escaping but...”

“But?”

“The magical wards were supposed to prevent him from using his own magic to escape, but he was able to use it for simple things, which we didn't know. He was apathetic during the first two weeks. Even if he left all food untouched, he didn't seem to decline. We guess he found another source of power somewhere and that he used it to escape afterwards.”

Bruce raises his eyebrows, openly curious.

“He would have used his magic to find another source of power outside of his cell? But I guess it’s a specific kind of power. Where does it come from?”

“No one knows the source of his magic; he's born with it.”

“That's not what I meant. What does Loki like to do? What does make him powerful?”

“Well, to destroy everything and to be surrounded by the pain, I guess?”

“No, that’s not it… Wait.”

Everyone turns around to look at Clint, who suddenly seems excessively pale.

“When he controls someone there is this kind of transfer of power when needed, for example during a fight. Partly, that's why he is more powerful when he's got strong people under his control.”

“That would mean Loki found someone to manipulate and use as a source of power.”

[...]

Tony has resisted. He hasn't left the room. To be safe, he had requested for his AI to lock the door. This was possibly a bit excessive, but he wants to be strong, at least once.

He is lying on his bed writhing in pain. His chest is rising up and down, too often for someone lying. His face is tensed and covered in sweat. He feels like a beast is eating his guts with very sharp teeth.

He keeps telling himself that this is his punishment for letting all those people die since his own heart is beating. Wanted to redeem himself with Iron Man was foolish. That is not in saving a few hundreds of people that he will bring back the thousand of dead ones. And he made mistakes he isn't allowed to forget. He mustn't choose the easy way out. He has to live with it, suffer from it.

As it is, he is suffering. Is the craving going to make him have visions? That would be great; he needs Loki. In his dreams or for real, he doesn't care. Everything could be a dream as far as he knows because, let's be honest, how the half-god locked up in a cell on Asgard could have escaped without being seen and only in order to visit him, a defeated and depressed inventor?   

_I am terrified, I think too much_

_I get emotional when I drink too much_

_I buy_ _every cry, 'cause I don't trust_

 

Yes, this is highly unlikely. Tony is finally going insane, which is not surprising considering his past. The only surprising part is the time it took.

Loki.

I need you.

Tony sighs. Pathetic, isn't it? He, Iron Man's maker, who defeated the mischievous half-god to save New York and its inhabitants, is now almost begging for Loki to join him. He needs Loki to end most of his agony.

Tony falls from the bed because of an uncontrollable move. He hits his head against his bedside table. He stays like that, stunned for a time. Then, he witnesses that the pain in his soul his weakened by the one on his head. He doesn't know how it is possible, but he is not protesting, certainly not.

He tries to stand up while grasping the edge of the bed with his left hand and manages to sit on the bed.

Then he witnesses Loki's silhouette in the armchair close to the window. He is cosily resting as he likes to do. He has this distant look, lacking hate or whatever else used to shine in Loki's eyes during the battle, this crazy half-god who wanted to destroy the city, insanely charismatic and frightening in his fight for his ideals.

He can't go further than the bed; he knows that. He lies down on the mattress, looking in Loki's eyes and waiting for him to make a move.

He is going to join him, isn't he?

He waits for a long time but at the end, he doesn't care because he being here, that's already huge. His presence has lessened the craving, and despite the few stains of dried blood on his hair and neck and t-shirt, his head is not hurting so much.

Suddenly, Loki stands up and moves slowly toward the bed where Tony is lying. He walks around the bed and lies down by his side. Tony's heart is jumping inside of his chest, and the ark is flickering.

Tony moves closer to this cold body, and his breathing improves. They huddle their legs together, and the pain in his head stops. Loki wraps his arm around him and lays his arm on his hip with his face close-by.  Loki kisses his temples, his jaw, his forehead and his lips.

This is the first time in Tony's entire life that someone kisses him like this. It is as if this kiss said: you are mine, I would never hurt you because you are so precious to me, but don't forget you are mine.

Tony knows he has fallen headlong into Loki's trap, but that's all he wanted. Nothing is important now except him and these incredible feelings he brought.

[...]

“It could be a random person; he probably hadn't enough power to take his time and choose someone, had he?”

“I think you're wrong. Actually, I believe Loki had a link with this person, a bond powerful enough so that the magical wards of his cell couldn't stop it and that Loki could get power from this person, and then escape.”

Everyone take a few seconds to consider Banner's smart observation. Knowing Loki has escaped does not please them, essentially since they have no idea of his hiding place, nor his intentions for the future.

“But how could Loki have a powerful link with someone?”

“Could be Thor, they're brothers after all.”

“What?”

The God of Thunder is startled to hear his own name.

“Loki and I are not related by blood, friends of mine.”

“We're not merely speaking about blood relationships. You grew up together.”

“Yes, however, Loki came back to Midgard without using the Bifrost, which we thought was impossible.”

Thor's sentence has too many unknown elements for the mortals to get it.

“I think that what Thor is trying to say is that this is someone from our planet that Loki has used.”

Except for Doctor Banner obviously, he’s the cleverest.

“But then...”

“We spoke about manipulation earlier? What if Loki did it again with someone he used in the past?”

“That would leave Selvig and Clint?”

“I'm perfectly fine. If I were feeling weak, I would have noticed. And trust me, I remember what it was like to have someone stealing your power.”

The archer shivers at the thought of being manipulated once more. He wouldn't handle it.

“I met with Jane and Selvig before coming here, and he is fine too.”

“I feel like we are looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“The thing is to find Loki, not to find the human he has used.”

“But without them, there's no way to know where Loki is hiding.”

[...]

Lying in bed, an empty bottle by his side, Tony is trying to reflect on the last events. This is not easy since many thoughts are crossing his already clouded mind. He knows all his friends are talking about him to help him through his "alcohol problem" without knowing why he avoids them and got caught in a vicious circle.

He is not the one he used to be. He can't bear them asking why he stopped being Iron Man and about his lack of presence in the Media. He can't bear to see the compassion in Banner's eyes, the determination in Rogers's, the disdain in Barton's and Romanov's and the questions in Thor's.

He doesn't need to see what's in Thor's eyes, for fuck sake. He needs Loki's. Now that he knows how it feels like to be with him, he can't do a U-turn. He is poisoned.

He is exhausted after his sleepless nights, he has lost weight since he is barely eating and he has a migraine at any time of the day due to the alcohol, and in spite of that, he isn't planning on changing anything.

However, today he feels lost.

_I am terrified_

_I am terrified_

_I am terrified_

_'Cause I drink too much_

_'Cause I drank too much_

[...]

 

“It is crucial to find Loki before he gets the brilliant idea of destroying the city again or whatever.”

“We tried to find out who was the human he has used but it didn't work.”

“Where is your combativeness, my friends?”

“Thor, this is not about combativeness, this is about deduction. There are far too many inhabitants on this planet, for us to find your brother with so little information.”

“Wait, you said earlier that Loki used a human's power to leave Asgard. That means he reached straight for the human. And Loki only went to New York last time, which means the person we are searching for is in this area. And even if he came here without the Bifrost, he must have left a trace of his passage, a distortion somewhere.”

As usual, when he starts a scientific speech, Bruce is the only one to get what he means.

“I need to do some research with JARVIS, in order to see if we're not going on the wrong track.”

“This is progress. Go on, Doctor Banner, we'll wait for you.”

The scientist heads toward Tony's lab while the others stay in the living-room, resting on the sofas as their HQ is too narrow since Thor joined them. According to JARVIS, Tony has come back and is now sleeping in his bedroom.

Natasha is chatting quietly with Clint while Thor is pacing nervously. Steve, his forehead wrinkled with worry, is thinking in silence.

It's rather ironical. The Avengers weren't able to stick together for real before one of them tried to leave. And even if it was maybe too late to save him, they were not ready to give up.

[...]

When Bruce exits the lab hours later, Clint is dozing on the couch, arms crossed on his chest, and Natasha is talking about Loki with Steve.

The scientist takes off his glasses and takes his time to clean it, as usual when he knows what he has to say but doesn't want to. Natasha shakes the archer's shoulder to wake him up, and everyone turns toward Bruce to listen.

“Hmm, where is Thor?”

“He left to walk around the Tower, I suppose.”

“Alright, should we begin without him?”

“Go on, we'll tell him.”

“Good.”

He takes a deep breath.

“I found a trace of Loki.”

“Really, you did? Where was it?”

Clint, Natasha, and Steve are suddenly fully aware.

“Here, in New York. He came thanks to the human's power and stayed around since, but rarely at the same place.”

“Do you have something more precise?”

“Well, there's a possibility that he came...”

“Friends of mine!”

Bruce is cut by Thor bursting into the living-room, his red cloak fluttering behind him.

“What's the matter, Thor?”

“It's about Friend Tony; he is not fine!”

“No, it can't be...!”

Clint's sudden remark takes everyone by surprise. As he looked at him, Bruce figures out that Clint got what he meant.

Loki used their friend to escape, and nobody saw it.

[...]

He doesn't know how he managed to stand up, but the fact is, he did it. He is standing with his left shoulder leaning on the window frame and his face almost touching the glass. He is looking at the city at his feet without feeling anything in particular, not even that sense of power he used to feel.   

Thor came to his bedroom a few minutes ago, but he left quickly. Tony can get that; he's not very companionable at the moment.

He shivers when he hears the bedroom's door opening and closing then the soft sound of feet on the carpet. The shiver goes higher along his spine and wakes up every nerve under the skin.

He almost faints as cold lips kiss the crook of his neck. He holds back his breath and feels sharp teeth sinking into his skin. He holds onto the window frame tighter to stay upright.

Before he gets the chance to understand what is happening, he finds himself pinned against the wall and kissed until he's gasping for air. He tries to keep in his mind this Loki with medium long hair and wild look then he closes his eyes and lets it go.

The half-god lets him breathe the time to leave hot kisses along his neck and jaw, sometimes even bites. Tony's knees are giving up and he slips along the wall. Once he is sitting on the floor, Loki sits on his knees between Tony's legs.

The inventor runs a hand through the dark hair which smells like ice and desire. He feels everything he is alive he feels good.

Freezing hands lift his t-shirt, and then stroke his chest and the skin around his ark. The piece of clothing is thrown away.

Suddenly, he's suffocating. Pain rises in his chest, and it is unbearable. He would like to scream but he can't. A deep voice is whispering supporting words in his ear, and when the pain becomes manageable, he realises.

He is talking to him.

Then he opens his now artificially blue eyes to meet lightning green eyes, which shine in a slightly disturbing way, like the look of someone who's done something crazy.

Even if he is focused on Loki, the inventor catches the voices in the hallway and his AI urging him to open the door. He pretends he doesn't hear that.

Tony finally looks at his chest where he discovers a large hole and then at Loki's hand, still holding his electric heart. That was that, then?

Loki draws his face closer and whispers with his soft and alluring voice:

“You have nothing to fear anymore, Tony Stark.”

Poison white of your skin, bright dark of your hair,

Lightning green of your eyes, I want you.

_The End_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! What did you think? It would make my day to hear from you.
> 
> Well, I guess you probably have some questions. The story is voluntarily unclear. Maybe Loki manipulated Tony all along. Maybe Tony fall into a coma and dreamt about everything. Maybe that's a bit of both. That's up to you to decide.  
> As for me, I'm glad Tony is finally relieved at the end and I don't think Loki killed him. I don't think he's playing with Tony either, he cares for him in his own twisted way. Maybe he gave Tony a bit of magic when he pulled out the ark.  
> Anyway, any remark is welcome, especially if it's about grammar.  
> Thank you again and have a nice day!


End file.
